


At Home

by wendymr



Category: Lewis (TV)
Genre: Episode Related, Multi, S08E2: Lions of Nemea
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-11
Updated: 2014-12-11
Packaged: 2018-03-01 00:08:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2752259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wendymr/pseuds/wendymr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A lot has changed in James Hathaway's life since he became a Detective Inspector...</p>
            </blockquote>





	At Home

**Author's Note:**

> A huge thanks to Divingforstones for being such a wonderful BR.
> 
> * * *

Tony’s arrived to pick Lizzie up and declines an invitation to come in. “Early start tomorrow. But it’s good to meet you all at last. Heard a lot about you from Lizzie.”

“You’ll have to bring him next time,” Robbie says, holding out Lizzie’s coat. “All welcome here.”

“Just be prepared to go hungry if he’s cooking,” James adds, clapping Robbie on the back. “Or choose an evening when it’s someone else’s turn.”

Robbie glares at James. “Just for that, it’s your job the next dozen times.”

Lizzie looks from James to Robbie, eyebrows raised. “You let him make free with your kitchen, sir?”

Laura appears, squeezing in between Robbie and James. “James knows what to do if he wants to eat. And I told you, Lizzie: no sirs in this house if you’re not on duty. If either of them says otherwise, they have me to answer to.”

Lizzie grins. “I’d like to see that! Night, Laura. Robbie, James. Thanks for a lovely evening.”

Laura hugs her, and then she’s gone. Robbie turns to James. “Told you she wouldn’t pick up on anything. Why would she? She knows we’ve known each other for years.”

“True.” James nods. “And I suppose, even if she did, why would it matter? You and I are colleagues, and not even officially on the same team.”

“From what I’ve seen this evening, she’s probably one of the few who’d understand, love,” Laura says, reaching up to hug James. He drops a light kiss on her lips. “Jean would too, you know. If you told her the truth, I mean, rather than just that you moved in with us temporarily when you were between flats and we all liked the arrangement and decided to make it permanent.”

James shudders fractionally, then looks from Laura to Robbie, who’s moved closer and has one arm around Laura and the other hand resting on James’s shoulder. “You do know I’m not... embarrassed or anything about either myself or what we have, don’t you?”

“Course we do, canny lad.” Robbie squeezes his shoulder. “An’ it’s no-one else’s business if you don’t want it to be.”

They’ve made sure of that, all right — from the discretion the two of them employ outside their shared home to the second phone-line they had installed so he could provide a home phone number that’s not the same as theirs.

Once the leftover pizzas are safely stored in the fridge, the three of them move back to the living-room. Laura snuggles against Robbie on the sofa while James retrieves his guitar from the corner cupboard, then lounges in the armchair and gently plucks out a classical Spanish piece he learned on his long walk. 

“That’s lovely, man.” Robbie smiles across at him. “Haven’t heard you play that before.”

James smiles back. “Been practicing in my room. I didn’t want to play it for you until I got it right.”

Laura tuts. “And what have we told you about that, Mr Perfectionist?”

James pulls a face before setting the guitar aside and coming over to join them. Laura switches position to snuggle against him instead, while Robbie loops his arm around both of them. James drops his head so that it’s resting on top of Laura’s and just touching Robbie. “Well, if we believe Salvador Dali, there’s no reason to fear perfection, as we’ll never reach it,” he murmurs, then presses his lips to Laura’s soft hair.

“Pity you don’t listen to him more often, then.” Robbie strokes his hair; it’s still short enough that he can feel his friend’s fingers against his scalp.

“I’m sure you’ll remind me.” James stretches his arm across so that he’s hugging them both.

* * *

“Bedtime.” Laura yawns, and her movements are slow. But then, she was up earlier than either of them this morning. 

James stands and pulls Laura gently to her feet. ”You two go on. I’ll shut off everything down here.”

“All right.” Robbie moves in for a hug. “G’night, man. You’re on breakfast duty in the morning, yeah?” James nods. “Good. I fancy a boiled egg.”

“You’ll have cereal and like it,” Laura counters. “James and I are getting your cholesterol down if it kills us.”

“That’s right, gang up on me.” But Robbie presses a fond kiss to James’s cheek. “Sleep well, pet.”

James hugs Laura and they kiss lightly before saying their goodnights, and he listens to the familiar, welcome sound of their footsteps on the stairs as he turns off the lights.

It really was the best thing he’s ever done, telling them the truth about himself after he got back from Spain. He’s well aware that Robbie’s always assumed he was gay, or at least bisexual, but still carrying residual guilt over it. 

Once he told the two of them that he’s asexual, things became very different. Robbie stopped hinting that he should find someone and not let him and Laura monopolise his spare time. Then it was Laura who asked whether he likes affection and cuddling, and when he admitted he did, she slid her arms around him on the couch and wouldn’t let go until he dropped the guard he’s cultivated so carefully and hugged her back.

Now, he’s their partner in every way except in bed, and life’s never been better. He knows they both love him, and of course he’s loved Robbie for a very long time, a love that grew to encompass Laura as she became a permanent part of Robbie’s life. 

Climbing the stairs to his bedroom a little bit later, he pauses as the sound of Robbie’s snoring drifts down to him. James grins. Life with Robbie and Laura has its occasional ups and downs, but they’re home, and he wouldn’t change them for the world.

* * *


End file.
